Have you ever felt nervous or anxious in a social setting? Are you someone who overthinks to the point that it can impact your daily life? Not only can St. Mary’s University alumni Justin Quinton relate, but he wants to help!

After discovering a passion for teaching during his time as a student at StMU, Justin built a business from the ground up that focuses on confidence and personal development. Justin graduated from his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology at St. Mary’s in 2017. Here, he gained the tools and inspiration needed to launch his company.

“The most impactful takeaways for me were the inspiration and support I got from professors. Getting to learn and model from Dr. Doherty really confirmed my passion for psychology, and is a huge reason I enjoy teaching in my own business. Dr. Hopkins’s guidance and feedback on my philosophical growth was also very important in my ongoing success as an instructor. Additionally, getting to work with Joe Norman Shaw in the drama program really helped me grow as a person and presenter,” explains Justin.

Not only was Justin a psychology student, but he was also actively involved in the campus community. He was a part of the student legislative council (SLC) and made many positive impacts at the school. One of his lasting impacts was reducing spending while simultaneously creating more student experiences than previous years.

Justin also hosted more events for the student body to make authentic social and intellectual connections, renovated the Student Association building to create a fresh and welcoming space for students, and created more opportunities and access to build clubs. Looking toward the future, Justin also wanted to implement a successful system for future SLC’s by purchasing essential and necessary equipment.

“My experience at StMU was essential to my growth as both a lifelong learner and leader. I’m grateful to have been granted the opportunity to be both VP Finance and President of the Student Legislative Council. The SLC and the StMU community provided me with an environment that I could make a difference in. There were always chances to participate or volunteer which really allowed me to see what I could achieve in a supportive and engaging environment. That to me was something you typically can’t experience from a larger university,” Justin shares.

It was just moments after his final exam that it became clear to Justin that he was going to grow his business in the online training industry.

“I don’t know what it was but something sparked inside of me after that final exam, I started my business immediately and haven’t looked back. It’s been a lot of work but I’m very glad I went for it. I started a personal development company called Actualize Academy that provides tools and courses to improve a person’s confidence and productivity both personally and professionally. I have had the pleasure of teaching over 40,000 students in over 177 countries since I started with my online courses and books,” says Justin.

In addition to creating Actualize Academy, Justin writes personal development books to help people with social inhibitions, common social-related fears and how to improve self-mastery with confidence. These books can be found on Amazon and educational platforms.

“I published my first book The Fear: Strategies For Social Anxiety & Other Fears That Life Throws Your Way in 2015 while being a full-time student at StMU. Since then, The Fear went on to become an audiobook and video course which has been a best seller on education platforms like Udemy. I’m currently finishing my second book, Enlightened Enough: A Self Mastery Book To Stop Overthinking, Escape Self Sabotage, And Improve Your Mind And Emotions,” says Justin.

“After working with so many people both online and within my coaching practice I started to see similar trends of overthinking and self-sabotage repeatedly showing up in people’s lives. Enlightened Enough explores why happiness, motivation, and purpose are uphill battles for human beings and what we can do about that,” he elaborated.

“This book invites the reader to answer a series of questions for themselves, that when answered, cause a newfound self-awareness to emerge. Often unlocking new opportunities for growth in their financial, romantic, and personal life that were previously hidden from their minds. Allowing a person to experience more happiness and motivation in their daily life and work.”

Justin shares his personal journey that led him to become the successful motivational speaker and writer he is today. His journey is relatable and encouraging for those who are dealing with anxiety.

“I never actually aspired to be a speaker or coach. As a kid, I really took to psychology and philosophy but I was also a very shy and anxious person. So, in the process of trying to fix my own challenges, I saw what helped and what didn’t. I originally wrote my first book just for myself so that I could return to it as I needed. But while at StMU, there were student success seminars and I remember seeing the social anxiety seminar fill up immediately and thinking that my book might be helpful for other people, so I put it out there and things have just taken off ever since.”

To learn more about Justin’s newest book click HERE or you can reach out directly to him on INSTAGRAM. “Enlightened Enough,” will be available for purchase on Amazon within the next couple of months. Join the waitlist HERE. If you are interested in his courses, you can join through Udemy, Skillshare or his own site, www.Actualize.Academy .

We are very proud at St. Mary’s University to hear and share stories such as these about our alumni. We would like to thank Justin for allowing us to share his passion and business successes. If you would like to share your story please reach out to randi.palyga@stmu.ca or mackenzie.hermann@stmu.ca. We would love to hear what you’ve been up to since graduating at StMU!